Religion 113 - Happiness and the Good Life

What is happiness? What is a life well lived? How is happiness connected to virtue and ethics? How are considerations of happiness and meaning connected to beliefs about the afterlife?  This course explores the basic problem of living a meaningful life by considering the wisdom of philosophers and religious thinkers from across the world, past and present. As we develop scholarly tools to address these questions, we combine a critical eye with an openness to many different conceptions of human flourishing and how they might offer possibilities for us. The course has a lab component: students should be prepared to experiment with resources and practices that may lead to happy and fulfilling lives of purpose.

Spring semester. Professor M. Heim.

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Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Close reading and analysis of unfamiliar texts; classroom discussions and presentations; reflective practices and journal-style writing; formally written papers.